“ikura 〜temo”: No Matter How Much 〜, Still… (total concession on quantity) [JLPT N3]

Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026

Master 〜いくら〜ても to break through a bottleneck in understanding Japanese.

「いくら待っても来ない」 — 「いくら〜ても」, total concession “no matter how much…”

「いくら待っても、彼女は来なかった」 (no matter how long I waited, she didn't come) — 「いくら ＋ (て-form) ＋ ても」 means “no matter how much/how ~, still…,” a total concession in amount or degree, stressing “even at the limit, the result is (unchanged).” This guide covers 「いくら〜ても」's attachment, that “no matter how…, still…” feel, and how it differs from 「どんなに」.

Core: total concession in amount or degree (no matter how…, still)

「いくら〜ても」 = “no matter how much ~, however ~, still…,” a total concession:

• Amount (how much): いくらお金を使っても、足りない (no matter how much money I spend, it's not enough).
• Degree (however): いくら疲れていても、諦めない (however tired, I won't give up).
• Number of times: いくら失敗しても、挑戦する (no matter how many times I fail, I'll try).

The latter is often “still (no use／unchanged／won't give up)” — stressing “even at the limit, it's so.”

How to Connect

例句（看情境）

• いくら待っても、彼女は約束の時間に来なかった。(No matter how long I waited, she didn't come on time.) — amount/degree
• いくら疲れていても、最後まで諦めない。(However tired, I won't give up to the end.) — degree
• いくら失敗しても、もう一度挑戦する。(No matter how many times I fail, I'll try again.) — number of times
• いくらお金を使っても、幸せは買えない。(No matter how much money you spend, you can't buy happiness.) — amount
• いくら考えても、答えが出ない。(However much I think, no answer comes.) — degree

⚠️ Common mistakes to avoid

① Attaches to 「て-form ＋ も」. いくら待っても (✗ いくら待つても), いくら高くても (adjective て-form), いくら天才でも (noun で ＋ も). 「いくら」 pairs with 「て-form ＋ も (ても/でも)」.

② 「いくら」 vs 「どんなに」. Very close (both “no matter how…, still”), but いくら leans “amount, number, money” (いくらお金を使っても = no matter how much I spend); どんなに leans “degree, feeling” (どんなに悲しくても = however sad). Often interchangeable; いくら stresses “quantity, count.”

③ The latter is often “still no use／unchanged／still…”. After いくら〜ても, mostly “even at the limit, the result is (a negative／unchanged)” — いくら謝っても許してくれない (however much I apologize, they won't forgive). Stressing the futility or resolve of “no matter how hard, still….”

🔄 Compare: いくら〜ても／どんなに〜ても／どれだけ〜ても

💡 Quick takeaway

「いくら〜ても」 is the total concession “no matter how…, still…” — whatever the limit reached in amount, count, or degree, the result is (unchanged). Three angles: ① amount/money (いくらお金を使っても = no matter how much money); ② degree (いくら疲れても = however tired); ③ number of times (いくら失敗しても = no matter how many failures). The attachment is 「いくら ＋ て-form ＋ も」. Very like 「どんなに」: いくら leans amount, count, money; どんなに leans degree, feeling, mostly interchangeable. The latter often carries “still no use, unchanged, still going” futility or resolve — quite forceful. For “no matter how hard, still…,” いくら〜ても fits best.

❓ Questions you might have

Q: How do I tell 「いくら〜ても」 from 「どんなに〜ても」?

Very close (both a total concession “no matter how…, still…”), differing in emphasis. 「いくら〜ても」 leans “amount, count, money”: いくらお金を使っても足りない (no matter how much I spend, not enough), いくら食べても太らない (no matter how much I eat, I don't gain weight) — stressing quantity/count. 「どんなに〜ても」 leans “degree, feeling, state”: どんなに悲しくても笑顔でいる (however sad, keep smiling), どんなに難しくても (however hard) — stressing degree/emotion. But often interchangeable (いくら疲れても = どんなに疲れても), little difference. In short: quantity/count/money → いくら; degree/feeling → どんなに.

Q: What usually follows 「いくら〜ても」?

Usually a result of “(at the limit) still no use, unchanged, still…,” stressing “no matter how hard, the result is (so),” with futility or resolve. Two common types: ① negative/futility (however…, still not…): いくら呼んでも、返事がない (however much I call, no reply), いくら勉強しても、成績が上がらない (however much I study, grades don't rise). ② resolve/unchanged (however…, still will…): いくら反対されても、僕はやる (no matter how much they oppose, I'll do it). So the latter of 「いくら〜ても」 is mostly “even at the limit, (a negative result) or (an unshaken resolve),” stressing that however high the effort/degree in front, it can't change what follows.

🖊️ Practice Questions (5)

Q1. 「___待っても、彼女は来なかった。」(No matter how long I waited, she didn't come)

(A) どんなに　(B) いくら　(C) たとえ　(D) なんとか

Q2. 「___疲れていても、諦めない。」(No matter how tired, I won't give up)

(A) いくら　(B) たとえ　(C) どんなに　(D) なんとか

Q3. 「___失敗しても、もう一度挑戦する。」(Even if I fail, I'll try again; a hypothetical tone)

(A) いくら　(B) どんなに　(C) たとえ　(D) なんとなく

Q4. 「お金を___使っても、満足できない。」(No matter how much money I spend, I'm not satisfied; emphasis on amount)

(A) どんなに　(B) いくら　(C) たとえ　(D) なんとか

Q5. What's the difference between 「いくら」 and 「どんなに」?

(A) いくら is colloquial; どんなに is written.

(B) いくら emphasizes amount/frequency; どんなに emphasizes degree.

(C) They mean exactly the same.

(D) いくら is only for questions; どんなに only for adversative sentences.

Answer Explanations

1. (B) いくら ── 「いくら待っても (no matter how long I wait)」= emphasis on amount (time/number of times of waiting); いくら is most natural.

2. (C) どんなに ── 「どんなに疲れていても (no matter how tired)」= emphasis on degree (degree of fatigue) → どんなに.

3. (C) たとえ ── 「たとえ失敗しても (even if I fail)」= hypothetical emphasis; たとえ is most natural (stressing "even if that were so").

4. (B) いくら ── 「お金をいくら使っても (no matter how much money I spend)」= emphasis on amount (money) → いくら.

5. (B) ── いくら emphasizes amount/frequency (how much/how many times); どんなに emphasizes degree (how much/how ~). Both are adversative emphasis, but with different focus.